Hawks flying through season

Friday

That’s Council Rock South’s glistening record with two weeks left in the regular season. Did head coach Monica Stolic expect her Golden Hawks to be this good at this point?

She laughs a little.

“Well, I guess I didn’t expect to be undefeated at this point,” said Stolic, in her fourth year at the helm at South, “but I thought we’d have a pretty good season, to tell you the truth.”

All the key players are back from last season’s 19-8 squad (11-3 in the Suburban One National), which missed the last Class AAAA state tournament playoff berth awarded to District One when falling to Downingtown West in overtime in the ninth-place playback game.

The Hawks’ hopes as always revolve primarily around 6-foot-3 senior center Alex Wheatley, an athletic, unselfish, polished all-around player and top student who will play at Princeton. She was first-team all-state as a junior and the SOL National Player of the Year. The oft-double- and triple-teamed Wheatley’s scoring average is down slightly to 17.8 from 20 last season, largely the result of blowout winning margins and more rest time.

Meanwhile, an elite player has seen a talented, committed and unselfish group around her continue to improve.

“They have players that are good at everything,” said William Tennent’s Allison Chatburn.

Overall experience is paying off in a big way, and while Wheatley (also 12.8 rebounds per game) will be dearly missed next season, just about everybody else will be back.

Frontcourt off-the-bench seniors Taylor Hunt and Rachel Jacob contribute valuable minutes. Hunt was the game MVP against Our Lady of Mercy at the Philly.com Play-by-Play Classic at Philadelphia University with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

South, leading the SOL National with a 9-0 mark and ranked No. 8 in Pennsylvania Class AAAA by Freeman/MaxPreps, has won 13 of its 17 games by double digits. The Hawks average 53.3 points per game and limit opponents to 34.1. It’s defensively where Stolic has noticed the most improvement.

“Our defense is leading to offense, and that makes it so much easier,” Stolic said. “I think we’re playing very good team defense.”

And offense is easier when everyone shares the ball.

“Even Alex, sometimes I think she can shoot more than she does, and she’s looking to give someone else the ball,” Stolic said. “I tell them, they’ve got to be a little more selfish at times, because we over-pass.”

Nice problem to have.

With Abington and CR North coming to the Hawks’ gym next week, their unbeaten streak will be challenged; CR South won the previous meetings by two and three, respectively. Meanwhile, a No. 1 or 2 seeding for the District One tournament is likely, and the way South is playing now, you have to like their chances of reaching the state tournament this trip.

Games to watch

Pennsbury at Council Rock North, Tuesday, 7 p.m.: The young Falcons, featuring a high-potential front-court duo in Sajanna Bethea (13.5 ppg) and Jae Jackson (8.0), are starting to make some noise. They’ve won five straight. They lost by only seven in the first meeting with North, which leans heavily on senior center Emily Grundman (15.3).

Council Rock North at Council Rock South, Friday, 6:15 p.m.: South won the first meeting in overtime at North, which overcame a 10-point deficit after the third quarter. The Indians’ three league losses have come by a total of only 13 points.

Dan Dunkin: ddunkin@phillyburbs.com; Twitter, @DanDunkin

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